New Balance’s vintage-inspired 550 sneaker has become one of this year’s most coveted shoes. Since being reintroduced by the streetwear brand in 2020, the shoe has become nearly impossible to obtain because of increasing demand and subsequent resale prices. Multiple makeovers from Aimé Leon Dore have spearheaded the hype, one of which resulted in the NYPD shutting down an in-store lineup to control commotion.
The appeal of the New Balance model rivals that of Nike’s own low-top basketball sneaker, the Dunk — and that’s not where the resemblance stops. Only a few months after Nike re-released the Dunk in a black and white palette, New Balance has decked its own shoe in the same shades. The similarity between the sneakers, however, is most likely a mere coincidence — black and white silhouettes are always favored by shoppers thanks to their simplicity.
